Suction cleaner nozzle adjustment



May 30, 1950 G. R. COSS sUcTIoN CLEANER NozzLE ADJUSTMENT Filed Feb. l0, 1944 INVENTOR. 6760/17@ 5G55.

Patented May 30,` 1950 SJ'G'IIN CLEANER N CZZLE ADJUSTMENT GeorgefR. Goss, Detroit, Michwassignor to Eureka Williams Corporation, a corporation of Michi` gall Application February 10, 1944, Serial No. 522,183

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to suction cleaners and has particular referenceto a means tor automatically adjusting the nozzle thereof in order to compensate for variations in height thereof due to changes in the loading of thewheels` due to pushing; and pulling the cleaner back andl forth.

A principal object of` the inventionis to provide a means for compensating for changes in the position of the nozzle; that normally occur when the cleaner is pushed and pulled` over a-` surface covcrine, tobe cleaned.

Other objects and ,advantages ofthe invention will be apparent from a consideration or the following specification. taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,` of. which there is one sheet and wherein:

Fig. l is anelevational View of a cleaner embodying the. invention;

Fig- 2A is a sectional View taken .along the line 2-2 of Fig, l; p

Fig. 3 is a side elevational- View of the rear wheel mounting and the rear wheelsand showing the latter in` their position when the;` cleaner is being` pushed forwardly:

Fig. 4- is aview similar` to Fig. Bibutrshowing the. position of therear wheelsh when. the cleaner is being pulled rearwardly; and

Fig. 5 is' a sectiona-lzview taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring new` to Fig. 1,. a. cleaner embodying the invention may comprise ingeneral. a body or casing ID provided with a licor nozzle I.2,.f'ront Wheels I4, rear wheels I6, a handle I8, and a bag 2U.

Thenozzle I2 is adapted toib'e supported, byl the Wheels Ill` and I6 above the, surface coveringr on which the cleaner is being operated, and the ow of air into such nozzleis adapted to liftthe, surface covering up againstthe mouth thereof so as toeiiiciently.` clean the surface; covering: during the Operation. of the. cleaner.` A` rotary agitator o1- brush may beoperatively associated? with. the nozzle: |12 for beating and/ or sweeping the surface covering in order to expedite the cleaning thereof.

In practice the cleaner is maneuvered over a surface covering by means of a handle and is pushed forwardly and pulled backwardly. The wheels I4 and I6 are adapted to position the nozzle and optimum distance above the surface covering, but due to the changes in the loading of the wheels I4 and I6 due to pushing the cleaner forward and pulling it backward, the wheels I4 and I6 will sink further into the surface covering when the cleaner is pushed forwardly than when Fit is pulled backwardly. This is so because the vertical component of the. force appliedY to the handle I8 for pushing the cleaner forwardly adds weight to or increases the loading, of the wheels I4 and` IB, whereas the vertical component of the force applied to the handle i8V for pulling it rearwardly decreases the loading of. the wheels l`4 and IS..` Such changes loading. of the wheels varies the penetrationV of the wheels I4 andI I6 into the napA of the surface covering,` and. consequentl-y changes the position of the nozzle I2 with respect to the surface covering,

In order to compensate for such changes in loading of the fron-t and rear wheels f4" and. I' I have. devised the hereinafter describedY compensation means. The front wheels I4 may be non adjustably connected tothe cleaner. ll. Therear wheels. It are rotatable upon an axle 22 the axle being rotatably supported. by its trunnions 24 in bearing surfaces suitably provided in-V brackets Z6, such arrangement` providing an eccentric mounting for the rear wheels. Brackets 26 are suitably affixed to the body ofthe cleaner. In. order to cause the axle 22 to tend to rotate with the wheels I'S, a slipping clutch or friction drive is. provided betweenV the axle 22 andthe wheels It, and this comprises a coll'ar. 28 xed to each. end. of the axle 22. soA as to rotate therewith and the. hub of each ofthe wheels IE which are spring pressed against.- the collar. 28 by a spring 3U.

Spring. 30 is arranged around the axle 22 and confined betweenwashers 32 which bear against the inside hubs ofthe wheels If6 thereby pressing the outside faces of the. hubs ofthe wheels` I6 against the collars 28.. The ends of the axle 22 may have flattened sidesso as to-f't within. a complementary shapedl hole in theV collars 2.3 which may be pressed on; such. endsof the axle Each of thefcoll'ars-.is providedwith a laterally extending lug or tab. o1: stop 34: which projects into the path of one of the .brackets 2B.. Thus the-brackets 25. in cooperation with the tabs; 3l` form at means to limit` the rotationof. the axle. 22 with.. the wheels i6..

The frictionalV drag between the outside hubs of the wheels I6 and the collars 23 is relatively light so as not to offer any appreciable resistance to the forward or backward movement of the cleaner after the brackets 26 have cooperated with the tabs 34 to limit the rotation of the axle 22, the wheels I5 thereafter turning about their own bearing surfaces on the axle 22.

The trunnions Z are arranged parallel to but off center with respect to the axis of the axle 22. Thus when the cleaner is pushed forward, the forward rotation of the wheels I6 will, through the friction drive heretofore described, cause the axle 22 to turn in a clockwise direction (looking at Fig. 3) until the tab 34 comes up against the bracket 26. In this position it will be observed that the trunnions 24' are below the axis of the axle 22 so that the wheels IE will be in what might be termed a position closest to the body of the cleaner. With the wheels I6 in such position the nozzle I2 will be in its highest position, that is, in its position farthest away from the surface coverin-g as the body of the cleaner will pivot about the front wheels I4. In this position the nozzle of the cleaner may be approximately ff of an inch above the plane surface defined by the bottom surfaces of the wheels I4 and I6.

As the cleaner is pulled backwardly the friction drive between the wheels I6 and the axle 22 will cause the axle 22 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction (looking at Fig. 4) and until the tab 34 cornes up against the other side of the bracket 26. In this position the trunnion 24 is above the axis of the axle 22 so that the Wheels I6 are farther away from the cleaner. With the wheels in this position the nozzle I2 is positioned closer to the surface covering than with the wheels I6 in the position illustrated in Fig. 3. With the wheels I6 in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 the nozzle I2 may be positioned approximately 3% of an inch above the plane dened by the bottom of the Wheels I4 and I6. However, due to the change in loading of the Wheels I4 and I6 when the cleaner is pushed forwardly and pulled baokwardly, such wheels will sink into the surface covering less when the cleaner is being pulled rearwardly. The amount of adjustment of the nozzle I2 obtained by shifting the Wheels I6 between the several positions illustrated is calculated to compensate for the differences in the sinkage of the wheels during forward and reverse movement of the cleaner so as to position the nozzle I2 substantially in the same relative position with respect to the surface covering when the cleaner is pushed forwardly and pulled backwardly.

Under some conditions it may be desirable to lock out the means for automatically adjusting the nozzle, such as when the cleaner is operated over an extremely thin rug or carpet or when a polishing brush attachment for wood or linoleum floors is operatively associated with the cleaner. At such time a lock out may vbe employed to lock the adjusting mechanism in one of its positions, and this may comprise a hook-shaped pin 38 slidable in a suitably formed guide provided on the cleaner. With the pin 38 arran-ged as illustrated in Fig. 3, the adjusting mechanism is free to operate. However, with the pin 38 arranged as illustrated in Fig. 4, the adjusting mechanism is locked out by the end 40 of the pin which, as illustrated, is arranged to cooperate with the tab 34 to prevent shifting thereof and hence to prevent operation of the adjusting mechanism. The pin 38 thus comprises a lock out for the adjusting mechanism, and while with the particular construction illustrated the lock out is adapted to lock the adjusting mechanism and hence the nozzle in one position, it is obvious that the lock out means may be arranged to lock the adjusting mechanism and the nozzle in any particular or desired position. The pin 38 should have a frictional t in its guide so that it will stay in whatever position it may be arranged in.

While the invention has been described with some detail, it is to be understood that the description is for the purpose of illustration only and is not denm'nve of the umits of the inventiv idea. The right is reserved to make suc changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner having a oor nozzle, front and rear wheels adapted to support said cleaner and nozzle, an eccentric mounting for one of said Wheels and a friction drive between said wheel and said mounting operable upon and by rotation of said wheel to vertically adjust the cleaner relative to said one wheel so as to lower said nozzle relative to said cleaner upon rearward rotation of said Wheel and to raise said nozzle relative to said cleaner upon forward rotation of said wheel, said friction drive including a stop engaging different parts of said mounting upon rotation of said Wheel in opposite directions as aforesaid.

2. In a suction cleaner having a floor nozzle, front and rear wheels adapted to support said cleaner and nozzle, an eccentric mounting for one of said Wheels and a friction drive including a movable stop between said one wheel and said mounting, said stop being operable upon and by rotation of said wheel and in response to the operation of said friction drive by said wheel to vertically adjust the cleaner relative to said one wheel to lower said nozzle upon rearward rotation of said wheel and to raise said nozzle upon forward rotation of said wheel, said movable stop being engageable with Xed portions of said cleaner to hold said eccentric mounting in different vertical positions of adjustment.

GEORGE R. COSS.

REFERENCES CITED Y The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,346,972 Orr July 20, 1-920 1,348,585 Roseniield Aug. 3, 1920 1,348,587 Rosenfleld Aug. 3, 1920 2,060,510 Leathers Nov. 10, 1936 2,260,207 Berg Oct. 21, 1941 2,296,077 Yonkers Sept. 15, 1942 2,335,377 Berg Nov. 30, 1943 2,396,846 Hahn Mal'. 19, 1946 

